– Last year at training camp I thought Kevin Davis looked substantially better as a 16-year-old than he had the previous year as a 15-year-old. Is it possible he’s made another similar stride? Davis was very impressive today, but what was impossible not to notice was how much more active he was offensively. Last season as a rookie he was strictly a stay-at-home guy, and he was very reluctant to shoot the puck. But in this afternoon’s scrimmage he had some rushes and moves that shocked me. Apparently his time trying out for the Canadian U-18 team was put to good use.

– One of the recent draft picks who caught my eye was Blake Bergquist. The Minnesota native showed a scoring touch, and he moves pretty well for a player projected as a power forward. It’s hard for WHL teams to get players out of Minnesota, and Everett hasn’t had much success of late. But Bergquist being here shows he at least has some interest in playing in the WHL. From what I saw today, he’d be a good get for the Tips. And as the Portland Winterhawks prove, once a team finds that crack into Minnesota, it’s possible a wave will follow.

– How about first-round pick Jantzen Leslie? He’s very projectable. He has good length, he moves his feet pretty well, and he won a lot of his puck battles. What I really liked, however, was that he was always talking — I could hear him all the way up in the press area. He’s been the captain on his teams in the past, and this may be evidence of those leadership skills.

– There’s an overager battle brewing. Everett has four overagers in camp battling for three roster spots: defenseman Ben Betker and forwards Kohl Bauml, Zane Jones and Brayden Low. Conventional wisdom suggests Jones and Low would be battling for the third spot, and both came into camp in great shape, so it will be interesting to see how things play out.

– Goaltender Carter Hart didn’t take part in practice or his scrimmage today as he’s nursing a minor groin injury.

– Defenseman Jordan Wharrie’s younger brother, Josh, is a 15-year-old invitee, and the two of them are dead ringers for one another. When they collided in the corner during today’s first scrimmage, they must have thought they bumped into a mirror.

– There’s four more scrimmages Saturday, with each team playing twice. The top two teams from round-robin play will compete for the Volunteer Cup on Sunday morning.